Old St. Albans Post Office & “Science and Industry”

The history of the post office in St. Albans stretches back to 1817. In this year, Benjamin Coal began receiving back compensation for post delivery in Kanawha County. Coal initially based his operations out of a local establishment called Wilson’s Tavern, though the unofficial post office moved through a number of other taverns, pharmacies, and storefronts in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. An official postal route was established in 1903 with free rural delivery expanding it in 1909. The location moved twice more, to the First National Bank Building and the Loyal Order of Moose lodge in 1910 and 1926, respectively.

By the 1930s, St. Albans rapid economic growth necessitated expanded postal services. In 1935, the 3,254 residents were served with a postal budget of $14,839. Thanks to political lobbying from the postmaster, Harry E. Riddleberger, and community leaders, St. Alban’s was awarded not more than $15,000 in Federal Treasury Funds to construct a new and permanent base of postal operations. Two federal officials worked in tandem to design the building: Supervising Architect Louis A. Simon and Supervising Engineer Neil A. Melick. Construction began and completed in 1937, thanks to the efficiency of Works Progress Administration (WPA) builders.

The completed post office is largely typical of WPA buildings from this time. The single-story building is primarily brick in construction with walls a foot thick. The original structure was almost square with five evenly spaced bays on the front and five less uniform bays on the sides. A moderately large ell addition was added to the back of the building circa 1955. The roof, which is metal hip roof, has been replaced but remains faithful to the original materials and design. A dentilled wooden cornice bridges the gap between the walls and roof. More wood decoration can be found at the peak of the roof. A decorative belvedere can be seen there. Roof belvederes or cupolas are not overly common on WPA post offices, but can be seen relatively frequently, such as on the Oak Hill Post Office. The various architectural elements of the Old St. Albans Post Office come together to form a distinctly Colonial Revival building.

The interior of the post office building is divided between public and private spaces. A front-facing main lobby allowed St. Albans residents to send mail or complete federal paperwork. Rear offices hosted the postmaster and other office staff. One remaining element of particular note is the vault, which has twelve inch thick concrete walls. Installed in 1938, the room includes an enormous eight foot by nine foot safe manufactured and installed by the Vault Hering-Hall Marvin Safe Company from Hamilton, Ohio. The entirety of the post office interior features maple tongue and grove floorboards.

The lobby of the Old St. Albans Post Office contains a sculpture by Reuben R. Kramer. The wooden image of a stylized reclining figure was completed in 1941 and titled “Science and Industry.” The sculpture was appropriate for St. Albans, as the area was primarily an industrial center. The town was adjacent to a number of chemical plants in the Kanawha Valley which employed a large portion of St. Albans’ population. This was in contrast to nearby Charleston, which hosted a larger number of white collar workers. As St. Albans continued to grow throughout the twentieth century, a larger post office facility was needed. The Old St. Alban’s Post Office was closed in 1986 and a new building was opened. “Science and Industry” was transferred to the new building, located at 431 B Street. The Old St. Albans Post Office remains in use as a private office building.

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